It’s been a whirlwind for the Westports Malaysia Dragons in their search for another World Import and they certainly hope that AJ West will be their final answer.
Same as the Dragons’ other World Import, Marcus Marshall, West played at the University of Nevada, though the two were never officially teammates. During his collegiate years, West was a constant threat to log a double-double with an average of 9.9 points and 9.0 rebounds over three seasons.
West then turned to play professionally in Lithuania for BC Siauilai, where he was still consistent in producing hustle points for his team.
The Dragons have had a rocky start with their foreign aid after parting ways with Solomon Jones even before the season had started. They played only one World Import in their first game before bolstering their lineup by signing Curtis Washington. West will be replacing Washington who averaged 18.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and shot 55.6% from three-point range in two games.
Listed at 6’9″, West might not be a bulking behemoth, but will be an interesting fit for the Dragons who have been playing at a breakneck pace in Coach Chris Thomas’ system. The Dragons currently allow the most defensive rebounds per game in the ABL and adding a workhorse on the offensive glass like West to their line up could help improve in that area.
The first test for West and the Dragons will be against Tanduay Alab Pilipinas as they are scheduled to clash in the first ABL game of 2018 on the 3rd of January.